Our 2026 Graduates&#8217; Stories

A student covers her mouth and smiles widely as she walks into commencement wearing her cap and gown.

May 5, 2026

Our 2026 Graduates’ Stories

NC State alumni do amazing things. They expand access to education. They discover new pterosaurs. They travel around the moon. (If you’re new here, this is a Christina Koch fan site.) On Saturday, May 9, more than 7,400 graduates will become Wolfpack alumni. Many of them have already done amazing things during their time as students…

Olivia in front of the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, or the Florence Cathedral.

May 5, 2026

Class of ’26 Reflection: Olivia Townsend

Olivia Townsend is a senior in the Caldwell Fellows Class of 2026 from Roxboro, North Carolina and a M.A. student studying History. She credits her small, rural hometown as the…

Simon backpacking through the mountains of Colorado on a wilderness expedition.

Apr 27, 2026

Class of ’26 Reflection: Simon McNair

Simon McNair is a senior in the Caldwell Fellows Class of 2026 from Asheville, North Carolina studying Biological and Agricultural Engineering with a concentration in Ecological Engineering. He is passionate…

Poole College's student commencement speaker Makayla Richardson wearing her mortarboard cap

Apr 24, 2026

Meet Poole’s Student Commencement Speaker Makayla Richardson

The NC State double-major and accomplished student leader will deliver remarks to her fellow graduates at Poole College’s May 9 undergraduate commencement ceremony.

Charles Kellon stands on a cliff along the Camino.

Apr 20, 2026

Class of ’26 Reflection: Charles Kellon

Charles Kellon is a senior in the Caldwell Fellows Class of 2026 from Knightdale, North Carolina studying Applied Education Studies. After graduation, he plans to teach in an elementary classroom…

Apr 3, 2026

Letter to My Younger Self

What would you tell your younger self if given the chance? We posed this question to several Caldwell Fellows alums to see not only what they wish that had known at graduation but also what they understand more clearly now.

A group of people is seated at numerous tables looking at a speaker on a platform at the head of the room.

Mar 9, 2026

March 2026 Dinner Seminar Recap

Some evenings carry a particular weight, the kind that arrives quietly and settles somewhere between celebration and gratitude. The March 8 Dinner Seminar was one of those evenings. For the…

A group photo of the members of the class of 2029 in front of a sign for the Haw River State Park.

Mar 8, 2026

Caldwell Fellows Announce Class of 2029

The Caldwell Fellows program at North Carolina State University has named thirty first-year students to its class of 2029 – the 59th class of Caldwell Fellows. The new class can…

A group of Caldwell Fellows alumni from the Class of 1993 pose in formal dress attire for a photo at the 2026 Caldwell Gala.

Mar 6, 2026

2026 Caldwell Fellows Alumni & Selection Weekend Recap

Rooted in Leadership: A Recap of the 2026 Caldwell Fellows Alumni Weekend There is something that happens when we gather. Something difficult to name but impossible to miss. It moves…

A group of Caldwell Fellows alumni outside after the 2026 Alumni Conference.

Feb 24, 2026

Rooted in Leadership: Reflections from the 2026 Caldwell Fellows Alumni Conference

What happens when generations of leaders gather to explore the values that ground them? At this year’s Caldwell Fellows Alumni Conference, we found out, and the conversations that unfolded reminded…